Italian, Informally

The presentation is direct at Tavern 1757.CreditCreditLisa Wiltse for The New York Times

By Christopher Brooks

Feb. 28, 2015

Towering above the frozen landscape of the late winter snow pack in Seymour is Tavern 1757, a structure that evokes the grand style of the Habsburgs in its combination of stucco and stonework.

Incongruous as this imposing building may seem in this rural town, the inside is as casual and welcoming as a favorite chalet in ski country. The open floor plan flows easily from the bar, where a wood-fired pizza oven operates, to the dining area, with hardwood floors and reclaimed pillars and beams that help create a warm, informal aura.

The executive chef, Igli Telo, whose experience includes 14 years at the Carmen Anthony group of restaurants, keeps things informal, too, by forsaking elaborate frills in favor of a straightforward presentation. Sprigs of thyme are about the extent to which he adorns his largely Italian cuisine.

Occasionally, more attention to detail would be welcome, such as in a $30 appetizer sampler of fried calamari, bacon-wrapped scallops, clams casino and risotto-stuffed pepper. With the exception of the undercooked calamari, these items were very well prepared and would have been showcased better in a larger serving platter, rather than being jumbled together, the squid spilling over the clams, the pepper oozing onto the scallops.

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Veal osso bucco braised with red wine and vegetables served with risotto.CreditLisa Wiltse for The New York Times

Mostly, though, the kitchen hits just the right notes for a tavern restaurant, especially in its entrees. I loved the sea bass piccata, a recent special, not only for the buttery-moist consistency of the fish filet, but also for the perfect balance its sauce struck among lemon juice, capers and white wine. The honey-glazed pork chop, branded with grill marks and its rib bone still attached, was also stellar. Some measure of that success is due to the risotto of peas and mushrooms nestled against the tender, juicy cut — rendered the correct shade of pink — that amounted to a creamy, cheesy tour de force.

Veal osso buco was similarly scrumptious. An impressive pipe, brimming with marrow, protruded from the sizable shank, while the meat’s texture was fall-apart tender and flavorfully imbued from a prolonged simmer with red wine. Accompanied by a small portion of risotto, this time the arborio rice was a tad gummy.

Despite the disorderly layering of the Tavern Napoleon, in which a toothpick failed to keep thin-cut slabs of chicken breast, roasted red peppers, prosciutto and melted mozzarella from sprawling across a bed of garlicky spinach, I found myself savoring every bite of it. Major credit for that goes to its sauce, based on a restrained blend of white wine and Sambuca.

Two other entrees of merit are the grilled jumbo Cajun sea scallops, and ricotta gnocchi Genovese. The nicely undercooked scallops, though of only moderate size (and rather costly at $30), were tingly with cayenne pepper and a touch of Old Bay. They were paired with a luscious cream-infused spinach pesto pappardelle. Initially, I was disappointed to find that same spinach treatment coating the gnocchi, rather than a true Genovese basil pesto. But there was a silver lining: The house-made gnocchi, fluffy and feathery light, were among the best I’ve had in quite some time.

Adding to the pleasure of the gnocchi was its inclusion of four beautifully grilled, succulent scampi. The heftiness of those shrimp stood in stark contrast to the minuscule ones that topped a clam and scampi pizza special. At least the crust of that pie was completely cooked, unlike the soft doughy one of an otherwise fine margherita I sampled on a separate occasion.

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Stuffed pepper with arborio rice, roasted vegetables and goat cheese.CreditLisa Wiltse for The New York Times

Of the appetizers, I liked the grilled stuffed portobellos well enough, their pleasing Gorgonzola cream sauce integrating well with a medley of sautéed spinach, sweet red pepper and artichoke hearts. And the Tavern ensalade, an assemblage of mixed greens, was appealingly decked with fresh chèvre, sultanas, candied walnuts and a tangy honey-balsamic vinaigrette.

Desserts at Tavern 1757, which is operated by the same ownership group as Jesse Camille’s Restaurant in Naugatuck, range from modest to mammoth.

At the more manageable end of the spectrum are crème brûlée and Key lime pie. Both are quirkily presented, the crème in an odd conical glass ramekin with only a small surface of its velvety custard brûléed, the Key lime “pie” in a low round glass that made a challenge of excavating its cinnamon-scented graham cracker base.

The New York cheesecake had a more traditional appearance, and I found it both delicious and deceptively light.

Then there is the chocolate peanut butter cake, a true calorie bomb with its triple tiers of cake alternating with two layers each of peanut butter and chocolate icing, the top gilded with peanut butter cups. The menu suggests splitting that between two people, unadorned advice well worth heeding.

THE SPACE The open floor plan flows seamlessly from the bar into dining area and is balanced harmoniously by such rustic touches as reclaimed wood pillars and beams. About 60 seats, with an additional 22 in the wine cellar and, in warmer weather, outdoor seating for 60 on both the terrace and veranda. Wheelchair accessible.

THE CROWD The informal setting is so popular with families with young children, romantic couples and groups of friends that Tavern is often filled to capacity.

THE BAR A wood-fired pizza oven and a cathedral ceiling with skylights are found in the bar area, where 15 seats hug the counter, and another 15 are set at surrounding tables. About 80 wines in a diverse selection emphasizing European reds and American whites, from $24 to $295 a bottle; $7 to $12 by the glass. Most of the 16 draft lines are craft beers, $5 to $9 a pint.

THE BILL Soups, $5 to $6; salads and appetizers, $8 to $13; pizzas, $10 to $14; entrees, $17 to $33; desserts, $8. All major credit cards are accepted.

IF YOU GO Open Tuesdays through Saturdays, noon to 10 p.m.; Sundays, brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. Ample parking alongside the restaurant, and in an adjacent lot. Reservations recommended.